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Noise Cancelling Headphones: What Are They & How Do They Work?

Life seems to get noisier all the time. If you’re looking for respite from the outside world, noise cancelling headphones might help.

JON STONE|
updated 27 Feb 2019 15:15

If you’ve ever had to listen to the sound of a plane turbine for 8 hours or tried to make an urgent deadline while
your co-workers are busy discussing Bird Box, you’ve probably wished that the world around you had a mute
button.

While they’re not a perfect mute button, noise-cancelling headphones can drastically lower the noise around you --
in some cases by as much as 80 decibels.

They work using a concept known as destructive interference to effectively remove outside sounds from what
you want
to hear.

If you’ve ever wondered how these headphones work -- and if they’re worth buying -- this guide has you covered.

Noise Cancelling vs Noise Isolation? What’s the Difference

This guide is going to focus primarily on noise cancelling headphones.

So, before we get started, it’s important to understand the difference between these noise cancelling and noise
isolating headphones.

Noise isolating -- or passive noise cancelling -- headphones work by blocking outside noises. Kind of like if
you
cupped your hands over your ears.

This is often done using thick ear cups or snug-fitting earbud tips to keep sound waves around you from reaching
your ear drum.

Most noise isolating headphones top out around 20 decibels of background noise reduction.

If you’re looking for an excellent pair of noise isolating headphones consider these:

If you need more reduction, you’ll need to check out noise cancelling headphones.

[DECIBEL RATING IMAGE]

Noise cancelling -- or active noise cancelling -- headphones are very different from noise isolating
headphones.
They essentially use technology to eliminate the ambient noises surrounding you.

If you’re listening to music or watching a video, you’ll be able to hear better. But most models will also allow you
to put the headphones on with no input at all and simply enjoy a bit of peace and quiet.

They are capable of reducing overall noise by as much as 80 decibels depending on the model.

So How Do Noise Cancelling Headphones Work?

Noise cancelling headphones use digital signal processing (DSP) to work their magic.

There’s a microphone -- or microphones -- embedded in the headphones . They’re often in the ear cups for over- or
on-ear models and in-line for earbuds or in-ear models. So if you’re worried about appearance, they don’t stick out
like a mic on gaming or bluetooth headsets.

This mic records the ambient noise around you and sends it to the DSP chip. The chip then creates a signal that is
audibly opposite to the noise around you.

When it’s played back to your ear with the audio from your phone, tablet, or whatever you’re listening to, the
result is a dramatic reduction in outside noise.

This is known as destructive interference. While that might sound frightening, it’s perfectly safe for your
ears.
But it can slightly reduce audio quality -- even on the best noise cancelling headphones.

For cheap models, it might not just degrade quality, it could even introduce additional noise to your audio stream.
So definitely read reviews to get an idea of how any headphones you are
considering will perform.

Do Noise Cancelling Headphones Actually Work Though?

Yes they do. But it’s important to set expectations.

Active noise cancelling headphones aren’t magic noise eliminating machines… but they can definitely help in
the
right situation.

Because of the science behind destructive interference, it tends to filter out bass-heavy, steady noises best --
such as train or plane noises.

Most decent noise cancelling headphones can also handle lower volume conversations and similar background noise, but
you won’t find a pair of noise-cancelling headphones that perfectly remove loud conversations, TV dialogue, or
music from your surroundings.

Noise cancelling headphones also do not hand handle loud, sudden sounds well. So doors slamming or kids yelling will
still come through in your audio feed.

So, in most cases, you actually want a pair of headphones with both passive and active noise cancelling
abilities.

What slips past the DSP will hopefully end up muffed, if not eliminated, by the design of the headphones itself.

You don’t need to be listening to music or watching a video to take advantage of noise cancelling
benefits.

In fact, since active noise cancelling is handled by hardware in the headphones, you don’t even need to
plug most
headphone models in to use noise cancelling. Just slip them on, active noise cancelling, and enjoy a
much quieter
environment.

This type of use is for sleeping in noisy apartments or just removing the constant din of busy office
space.

However, as long as you get a good pair of headphones, the listening experience will remain rich. It’s
just not
going to be an audiophile-grade experience.

Still, if you’re trying to listen to music on a plane with your favorite cans, the experience is already
less than
ideal anyhow.

So it’s a trade-off you’ll need to decide for yourself. But in most cases, we find that if you need
noise
cancelling, the impact on audio quality is far less than the benefits of removing outside noise.

If you’re using your noise cancelling headphones in the office or on the go, most offer buttons to
enable or
disable the feature.

This means you’re not stuck removing your headphones every 5 minutes but can still get things done or
navigate the
world around you safely.

Some high-end options even include gestures or other features for quick disabling. For example, you can
cup your
hand over the earcups on Sony’s WH-1000XM3 headphones to temporarily disable noise cancelling. The mic
will even
still route through outside audio to help you hear.

Features like these make your experience much more enjoyable and are often worth the added expense of
higher-end
models.

While most of the popular models are larger, around-ear models, there are noise cancelling headphones in
a range
of shapes and sizes.

Plantronics, TaoTronics, and Bose all make excellent in-ear noise cancelling headphones in both wired
and wireless
designs if you’re looking for something more discrete or for use on the go.

Summary

As long as you don’t expect total silence, noise cancelling headphones can offer some much needed quiet in today’s
busy world.

Noise isolating headphones don’t offer the same level of noise reduction but are substantially cheaper.

However, if there’s room in your budget, a good pair of over-ear active noise cancelling headphones are a great way
to eliminate office noise, the endless hum of plane engines, air conditioners, and other common distractions and
allow you to rest better or focus on what you’re listening to.

In-ear active noise cancelling headphones are better suited for on-the-go use or when you prefer a less obvious
option for listening.

Regardless of your pick, be sure to check headphone reviews and -- if you can -- try a few pairs at a local
retailer. This will ensure your choice is a good fit for your ears and hearing.

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